I watched the new Jungle Book last night and really enjoyed it up to the point when it became the Disney version. Don't get me wrong, the the Disney adaptation is on of my favourite films, but after reading that the director was glad that none of the production team had seen it as he didn't want that to influence this version, I was ready to get something more like the original Sabu movie.
What we end up with is a cross between them both, but rather than this being a mix/merging of the 2, it is half the 1942 flick and half Disney.
One last thing, if you are going to sneak in a couple of songs, make sure that actors you cast can sing. Bill Murray evidently cannot and Christopher Walken can but not really in a "singing" kind of way.
I give the first half 7/10 and the second half 5/10.
However, the effects were great!